Exodus 12:11-15

11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover.

12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.

13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.

15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.

Exodus 12:11-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 12

This chapter begins with observing, that the month in which the above wonders were wrought in Egypt, and the following ordinance appointed to the Israelites, should hereafter be reckoned the first month in the year, Ex 12:1,2 on the tenth day of which a lamb here described was to be taken and kept till the fourteenth, and then slain, and its blood sprinkled on the posts of the houses of the Israelites, Ex 12:3-7, the manner of dressing and eating it is shown, Ex 12:8-11 and the reason of the institution of this ordinance being given, Ex 12:12-14, and an order to eat unleavened bread during seven days, in which the feast was to be kept, Ex 12:15-20, directions are also given for the immediate observance of it, and particularly about the sprinkling of the blood of the lamb, and the use of it, Ex 12:21-23, and this ordinance, which they were to instruct their children in, was to be kept by them in succeeding ages for ever, Ex 12:24-27 about the middle of the night it was first observed, all the firstborn in Egypt were slain, which made the Egyptians urgent upon the Israelites to depart in haste, Ex 12:28-33 and which they did with their unleavened dough, and with great riches they had borrowed of the Egyptians, Ex 12:34-36, the number of the children of Israel at the time of their departure, the mixed multitude and cattle that went with them, their baking their unleavened cakes, the time of their sojourning in Egypt, and of their coming out of it that night, which made it a remarkable one, are all particularly taken notice of, Ex 12:37-42, laws and rules are given concerning the persons that should partake of the passover, Ex 12:43-49 and the chapter is concluded with observing, that it was kept according to the command of God, and that it was on the same day it was first instituted and kept that Israel were brought out of Egypt, Ex 12:50,51.

Cross References

• 1. ver 33; Deuteronomy 16:3; Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 52:12
• 2. ver 13,21,27,43; Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 9:2,4; Numbers 28:16; Deuteronomy 16:1; Joshua 5:10; 2 Kings 23:21,23; 2 Chronicles 30:1; Ezra 6:19; Isaiah 31:5; Ezekiel 45:21
• 3. Exodus 11:4; Amos 5:17
• 4. Isaiah 10:33; Isaiah 31:8; Isaiah 37:36
• 5. ver 29; S Exodus 4:23; Exodus 13:15
• 6. Exodus 15:11; Exodus 18:11; Numbers 33:4; 2 Chronicles 2:5; Psalms 95:3; Psalms 97:9; Psalms 135:5; Isaiah 19:1; Jeremiah 43:12; Jeremiah 44:8
• 7. S Exodus 6:2
• 8. S ver 11,23; Hebrews 11:28
• 9. S Exodus 8:23
• 10. Exodus 13:9; Exodus 23:14; Exodus 32:5
• 11. ver 17,24; Exodus 13:5,10; Exodus 27:21; Leviticus 3:17; Leviticus 10:9; Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 17:7; Leviticus 23:14; Leviticus 24:3; Numbers 18:23; 2 Kings 23:21
• 12. Exodus 13:6-7; Exodus 23:15; Exodus 34:18; Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:17; Deuteronomy 16:3; 1 Corinthians 5:7
• 13. S Genesis 17:14; Numbers 9:13